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Sahuagin
Sahuagin, also commonly known as Sea Devils are savage, aquatic creatures, and while they are still considered a plague to sea-going humanoids, they are thought preferable to many of the other things that rise out of the deep. Description Sahuagin are short, vicious fish-like creatures, often compared to sharks or pirhanas. They usually range from a little under four to a little over five feet in height, not including any fins on their heads, with green, scaly skin and mouths full of jagged teeth. While the typical Sahuagin has two arms, two legs and a tail, variations exist with additional arms, a lack of legs, or both. Culture Sahuagin culture is simple and savage. There is little known in terms of society, with the majority of Sahuagin living in small tribes of fifteen to fifty. They are always led by the strongest of their number, the greatest warrior, and if religion plays into the tribe, only the strongest shaman or priest is permitted to preach. If another rises, he or she must kill the predecessor by any means available. The primary interaction between Sahuagin and other races, specifically surface dwellers, is as raiders. While the Sea Devils are known to hunt for sea creatures (and occassionally land animals) for food, they earn their nickname by raiding coastal villages and attacking ships, killing as they please, stealing anything they consider worth taking, and sometimes kidnapping live victims. These unfortunate souls are taken for a variety of reasons, different from tribe to tribe, but it is always towards nefarious ends and usually results in the kidnap victim's demise. Religion is also diverse among the Sahuagin tribes. While many venerate the DeepLord, others worship different sea gods, and a few worship the dreaded storm god Susano-O. Some Sahuagin also worship Demons. For the most part religion does not play heavily into the lives of Sahuagin, though they have some rituals and holy days that multiple tribes with the same faith practice, and some of the above mentioned abductees are taken as sacrifices to nefarious deities. Affiliation The relations of the Sahuagin are vastly different from tribe to tribe. While some are willing vassals of the Nereid Empire, others are kept as unwilling pets and slave soldiers, used as a front line against enemies. On similar religious lines, some Sahuagin with access to the great underground world-beneath-the-world are friendly with the theocratic Kuo-Toa found there, while other tribes despise the scaley little heathens. Where Sharkfolk are concerned, there are many differences, often based on the Sahuagins' opinion of themselves. Some see themselves as smaller Sharkfolk, the goblins to the shark-man's orc, while others view them as masters to be served (though from a distance, and only when they have already eaten their fill). On the other end of the spectrum, some tribes of Sahuagin recognize the Sharkfolk as the monsters they are, and either avoid them or make war on them whenever their paths cross, and a few rare tribes of Sea Devils attempt to capture Sharkfolk and keep them as pets or gladiators. As stated before, the majority of Sahuagin see surface dwellers as little more than prey to be hunted and raided. Rarely a Sea Devil will develop enough intelligence to integrate into the most base and savage societies, often working as low-level criminals and mercenaries, where their vicious and violent nature is well appreciated. Notable Members The Frozen Devil Twice Killed, the deadly fiend known only as The Frozen Devil was the terror of northern shores a century past. How it arrived so far north is a mystery, but the four-armed menace claimed the lives of dozens of Vikings, fisherfolk, and occasional dwarves. Eventually it was struck down by the wood elf, Varis Frostbow, but the creature's malice and hunger for northman flesh was so great it rose once again as an unheard-of Sahuagin ghoul. After a brutal rampage The Frozen Devil was cut-down once again by a party of united northern warriors. There are rumors however that some-how the creature has risen from the dead yet again with aid of the nascent necromantic energies of the Wizened's construction of Frosthaven. See Also Return to the Index of Races or the Beastfolk page. Category:Races Category:Beastfolk